Sports footwear, in particular a ski or snowboard boot

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to sports footwear, in particular a ski or snowboard shoe or boot, including a shell provided at the top with a longitudinal opening, a flap or tongue extending longitudinally along the shell and connectable near the region of the tip. The flap or tongue is capable of covering the opening and is removably connectable to the shell to define a first configuration of the sports footwear, in which the flap or tongue is connected to the shell in order to limit or prevent, during use, the oscillation movement of the user&#39;s leg in relation to the foot, and a second configuration, in which the flap or tongue is removed from the shell to allow, during use, the free oscillation movement of the user&#39;s leg in relation to the foot.

TECHNICAL SECTOR OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sports footwear, in particular a ski shoe or boot, which can be used for downhill skiing, ski touring or cross-country skiing, or a snowboard shoe or boot.

BASIC STATE OF THE ART OF THE INVENTION

Sports footwear, such as ski or snowboard boots, shoes for inline skates, shoes for cross-country skiing, shoes for cycling and motorcycling boots, that comprises a rigid shell, generally made of a plastics material, encasing the foot and to which can be rotatably connected at least one rigid upper cuff for encasing and supporting at least one portion of the lower part of the leg, is currently known. Inside the shell and upper cuff, a soft liner to comfortably contain the foot and lower part of the leg can be contained in a fixed or removable manner.

One very real problem in the sector of sports footwear of the type described above, and in particular in shoes or boots that can be used for winter sports such as downhill skiing, ski touring, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, etc., lies in the capacity to adapt the footwear to the different conditions of use, both during the sporting activity and when walking or with the sports equipment attached, in order to provide the user both with optimum comfort when walking and an adequate level of performance during skiing necessary to guarantee the optimum transmission of the forces exerted by the user's leg on the sports equipment such as to enable the correct management and continuous and precise control of the equipment during the sporting activity.

Consequently, the structure of the footwear must be sufficiently rigid during the sporting activity to enable a precise and immediate response to the movements of the leg and transform them into forces to be applied to the sports equipment in order to control and manage it, but at the same time allow the free movement of the leg in relation to the foot to enable easy walking when on foot, both with and without the sports equipment attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main task of this invention is therefore to devise sports footwear, and in particular a ski or snowboard shoe or boot, capable of adapting itself to the various conditions of use, both during the sporting activity and when walking or with the sports equipment attached.

Within the scope of the above task, one aim of this invention is to devise sports footwear capable of transmitting the movements and forces exerted by the user's leg to the sports equipment in an optimum manner and, at the same time, allow the free movement of the leg in relation to the foot in order to enable easy walking when on foot.

Another aim is to devise sports footwear whereby the user can simply and easily exploit its capacity to adapt to the various conditions of use.

The last but not least aim is to devise sports footwear that fulfills the above-mentioned task and aims at extremely competitive costs and that can be easily produced using conventional known systems, machinery and equipment.

The above-mentioned task and aims, and others that will appear clearer later on, are fulfilled by sports footwear as defined in claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further characteristics and advantages of this invention will emerge more clearly in the following description of a particular, but not exclusive, embodiment given purely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents, in a front perspective view, sports footwear, in particular a ski boot, according to the present invention in a first configuration;

FIGS. 2 and 3 represent, in a front and side view respectively, the sports footwear in FIG. 1 in a second configuration;

FIG. 4 is a detail of the footwear in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a component of the footwear;

FIG. 6 is a section along the longitudinal plane of the component in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sections along the transverse plane V-V in FIG. 5 in the first and second configuration, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the above-mentioned figures, sports footwear 1, for example a ski boot, comprises, according to the known art, a rigid shell 2 encasing the foot and at least one portion of the leg; inside the shell 2, a soft liner 3 to comfortably contain the foot and lower part of the leg is contained in a fixed or removable manner. Advantageously, at least one rigid cuff 4 to encase and support one of more portions of the lower part of the leg is rotatably connected to the shell 2.

The shell 2, and cuff 4, if any, are closed around the foot and lower part of the leg by means of known fastening devices, such as lever buckles 11.

The shell 2 is provided at the top, in the instep region of the foot, with an opening 5 that extends along a longitudinal axis in relation to the shell 2 from a region adjacent to the tip of the shell 2 to the free edge 7 of the shell 2 at the tibial region of the user's leg.

The opening 5 defines a first longitudinal edge 9 and a second longitudinal edge 10 of the shell 2, facing each other.

The opening 5 may be protected, partially or entirely, by a covering seal fixed internally or externally to the first and second longitudinal edge 9, 10.

The footwear 1 also comprises a flap or tongue 8 (henceforth, for the sake of brevity, “tongue” 8) made of a plastics material removably connectable to the shell 2 near the tip 6 and extending longitudinally along the shell 2 to cover the opening 5.

Advantageously, the tongue 8 has a curved structure both in the longitudinal and transverse plane and/or is made of a semi-rigid plastics material, so as to confer upon it limited deformation characteristics, in particular bending along the longitudinal axis. In this way, the tongue 8 provides a certain degree of resistance to forward bending of the user's leg, when mounted on the shell 2.

On the tongue 8 are mounted fastening means 12 capable of engaging removably in corresponding engagement means 13 mounted on the shell 2.

The fastening means 12 comprise a support base 14, projecting from the tongue 8, to which is rotatably connected an actuator element 15 capable of activating one or more fastening elements 16.

According to a preferred embodiment, the base 14 is provided with a pair of holes 17 arranged along a transverse axis in relation to the longitudinal extension of the tongue 8 and with a central opening 18 arranged along a vertical axis in relation to the longitudinal extension of the tongue 8.

The base 14 is basically in the shape of a mushroom, in which at least the upper lateral edges 19 protrude beyond the lower part. A first section of the protruding lateral edges 19 adjacent to the pair of holes 17 forms at least one pair of inclined planes 20, one per side of the base 14, and a second portion of said lateral edges 19 arranged above the pair of holes 17 forms a pair of recesses 21, one per side of the base 14. The inclined planes 20 are arranged mutually diverging in a direction running from a front, or rear, edge of the base 14 towards the transverse axis defined by the pair of holes 17.

The actuator element 15 comprises a grip element 22 from which extend a pair of resiliently deformable arms 23 capable of interacting with the protruding lateral edges 19 of the base 14. Each terminal part of the arms 23 opposite the grip element 22 is provided with a fastening element 16 that can be engaged in the respective hole of the pair of holes 17.

In this way, by inserting the fastening elements 16 in the holes 17, the rotatable connection of the actuator element 15 to the tongue 8 is ensured, while the interaction of the arms 23 with the first and second portion of the lateral edges 19 of the base 14 allows the actuation of the fastening elements 16, as will be better explained later on.

Advantageously, the grip element 22, the arms 23 and the fastening elements 16 are incorporated in one U-shaped component with the free ends folded inwards, so that the base of the U forms the grip element 22, the vertical arms of the U form the pair of resiliently deformable arms 23 and the folded free ends form the fastening elements 16 that engage in the holes 17.

According to a constructively advantageous embodiment, the base 14 can be made on a plate 24 obtained separately from the tongue 8 and connectable to said tongue 8 by known methods, for example by a snap fit action.

The means of engagement 13 on the shell 2 comprise a pin 25 connected to a plate 26 associated with a support 27 rotatably connected to the shell 2 in a region comprised between the bottom edge of the opening 5 and the tip 6. The assembly formed by the pin 25, plate 26 and support 27 is therefore rotatable about a transverse axis in relation to the longitudinal extension of the shell 2.

The pin 25 has a portion with a smaller diameter so as to form a low circumferential seat 28. The free end of the pin 25 can by contrast have a wider head 29.

Advantageously, the plate 26 is slidably connected to the support 27 so that it can slide in a longitudinal direction in relation to the shell 2.

The pin 25 is configured to be inserted in the central opening 18 provided in the base 14 of the tongue 8, and to be engaged in the low seat 28 by the fastening elements 16 of the actuator element 15, as will be better explained later on. In this way, the tongue 8 is secured to the shell 2 so that it can rotate freely in relation thereto due to the effect of the rotatable connection of the support 27 on the shell 2, so as to allow the user to put on and take off the sports footwear. Furthermore, if the plate 26 can slide freely along the support 27, the tongue 8 can perform a rotary-translational movement such as to facilitate its complete opening.

The operation of the invention is as follows: in the configuration in which the tongue is secured to the shell 2 by the engagement of the fastening means 12 in the engagement means 13, the actuator element 15 is in a first stable position, lowered against the tongue 8, with the pair of arms 23 housed in the lower part of the reduced-section base 14 (the stem of the substantially mushroom-shaped base 14), so that the fastening elements 16 are engaged in the low seat 28 of the pin 25.

In order to remove the tongue 8, the user need only lift, by means of the grip element 22, the actuator element 15, turning it about the transverse axis defined by the holes 17 in order gradually to disengage the fastening elements 16 from the low seat 28. Disengagement occurs by means of the interaction of the pair of arms 23 with the pair of inclined planes 20 made on the lateral edges 19 of the base 14, configured to resiliently deform the pair of arms 23. The divergence of the inclined planes 20 in fact causes the arms 23 to move away from each other, the latter, on moving apart, causing the fastening elements 16 to disengage from the low seat 28.

The rotation of the actuator element 15 continues until the pair of arms 23 engages by snap fit with the pair of recesses 21 provided on the lateral edges 19 of the base 14, assuming a second stable position, substantially vertically raised in relation to the tongue 8. The pair of recesses 21, being located on the protruding lateral edges 19 of the base 14, keeps the arms 23 apart so as to enable the total disengagement of the fastening elements 16 from the low seat 28. At this point, the tongue 8 can easily be removed from the shell 2.

In order to re-fasten the tongue 8, the user must insert the pin 25 in the central opening 18 of the base 14 and lower the actuator element 15 from the second stable position to the first stable position. In this way the arms 23 are brought together resuming the preceding resilient deformation and, consequently, bring together the fastening elements 16 which then engage in the low seat 28, securing the tongue 8 to the shell 2.

From the above, it is clear how this invention fulfills the aims and offers the advantages originally envisaged: sports footwear has in fact been devised, in particular a ski or snowboard shoe or boot, capable of adapting itself to the various conditions of use, both during the sporting activity and when walking or with the sports equipment attached.

In fact, thanks to the ease of removal of the tongue 8 from the shell 2, it is possible to pass quickly and easily from the ski configuration, in which the tongue is fastened to the shell 2 to offer a certain degree of resistance to forward bending so as to transmit the movement and forces exerted by the user's leg to the sports equipment, for example a pair of skis, in an optimum manner, to the configuration in which the tongue is unfastened from the shell 2 to allow the free movement of the leg in relation to the foot in order afford the user greater comfort when on foot with the sports equipment attached, for example when practicing ski touring, or to allow walking with ease.

In this latter configuration, the only resistance against the bending of the leg is in fact that offered by the internal liner, which is usually very soft and flexible.

Neither does the removability of the tongue 8 compromise the free oscillation of the tongue 8 when putting on or taking off the sports footwear, thanks to the rotatable connection of the engaging means 13 on the shell 2; the free oscillation of the tongue 8 can also be further improved if a sliding connection is provided between the plate 26 and the support 27.

Of course, the invention is open to numerous applications, modifications or variations without departing from the scope of protection as defined by claim 1.

Furthermore, the materials and equipment used to create this invention, as well as the shapes and sizes of the individual components, may be the most appropriate depending on specific requirements. 

1. Sports footwear comprising a shell provided at the top with a longitudinal opening, a flap or tongue extending longitudinally along said shell and connectable near the region of the tip of said shell, said flap or tongue being capable of covering said opening, wherein said flap or tongue is removably connectable to said shell to define a first configuration of said sports footwear, in which said flap or tongue is connected to said shell in order to limit or prevent, during use, the oscillation movement of the user's leg in relation to the foot, and a second configuration, in which said flap or tongue is removed from said shell to allow, during use, the free oscillation movement of the user's leg in relation to the foot.
 2. Sports footwear according to claim 1, in which on said tongue are mounted fastening means capable of engaging removably with corresponding engagement means mounted on said shell.
 3. Sports footwear according to claim 2, wherein said fastening means comprise a support base protruding from said tongue, an actuator element rotatably connected to said base at a provided pair of holes arranged along a transverse axis in relation to the longitudinal extension of said tongue, and one of more fastening elements that can be activated by said actuator element.
 4. Sports footwear according to claim 3, wherein said base is shaped so that at least the upper lateral edges protrude in relation to the bottom part, a first portion of said protruding lateral edges adjacent to said pair of holes forming at least one pair of inclined planes and a second portion of said protruding lateral edges arranged at said pair of holes forming a pair of recesses.
 5. Sports footwear according to claim 3, wherein said actuator element comprises a grip element from which extends a pair of resiliently deformable arms capable of interacting with said protruding lateral edges of said base.
 6. Sports footwear according to claim 5, wherein each terminal part of said pair of arms opposite said grip element is provided with a respective fastening element of said pair of fastening elements, it being possible to engage said pair of fastening elements inside said pair of holes so as to rotatably connect said actuator element to said tongue.
 7. Sports footwear according to claim 2, wherein said engagement means comprise a pin connected to a plate associated with a support rotatably connected to said shell in a region comprised between the bottom edge of said opening and said tip, said support being rotatable about a transverse axis in relation to the longitudinal extension of said shell.
 8. Sports footwear according to claim 7, wherein said pin has a low seat that can be engaged by said fastening means.
 9. Sports footwear according to claim 7, wherein said plate is slidably connected to said support to slide in a longitudinal direction in relation to said shell.
 10. Sports footwear according to claim 4, wherein said actuator element is rotatable between a first stable position, in which it is lowered against said tongue and said pair of arms is housed in the bottom part of said base so that said fastening elements engage said low seat in order to achieve said first configuration in which said tongue is connected to said shell, and a second stable position, in which said actuator element is raised in relation to said tongue and said pair of arms engages said pair of recesses so that said fastening elements are disengaged from said low seat, said pair of inclined planes being configured to resiliently draw apart said pair of arms when passing from said first stable position to said second stable position so as gradually to disengage said fastening elements from said low seat and achieve said second configuration in which said tongue is removable from said shell.
 11. Sports footwear according to claim 5, wherein said actuator element is rotatable between a first stable position, in which it is lowered against said tongue and said pair of arms is housed in the bottom part of said base so that said fastening elements engage said low seat in order to achieve said first configuration in which said tongue is connected to said shell, and a second stable position, in which said actuator element is raised in relation to said tongue and said pair of arms engages said pair of recesses so that said fastening elements are disengaged from said low seat, said pair of inclined planes being configured to resiliently draw apart said pair of arms when passing from said first stable position to said second stable position so as gradually to disengage said fastening elements from said low seat and achieve said second configuration in which said tongue is removable from said shell.
 12. Sports footwear according to claim 8, wherein said actuator element is rotatable between a first stable position, in which it is lowered against said tongue and said pair of arms is housed in the bottom part of said base so that said fastening elements engage said low seat in order to achieve said first configuration in which said tongue is connected to said shell, and a second stable position, in which said actuator element is raised in relation to said tongue and said pair of arms engages said pair of recesses so that said fastening elements are disengaged from said low seat, said pair of inclined planes being configured to resiliently draw apart said pair of arms when passing from said first stable position to said second stable position so as gradually to disengage said fastening elements from said low seat and achieve said second configuration in which said tongue is removable from said shell. 